Understanding the Hazards of High Indoor Humidity

Indoor relative humidity is a tricky topic when you live in a humid climate like Venice, FL. As a rule, you want to keep your home’s relative humidity within a range of 35 and 50 percent. Anything higher sustained for a prolonged period puts your home at risk for a host of issues.

Increased Dust

One of the first signs of high indoor humidity is an increase of dust. Dust mite populations thrive in humid environments; their primary water source is absorption of moisture in the air. The more prevalent the moisture, the more eggs they lay and the bigger the population becomes. This results in more dust—a serious allergen for many people and one that is difficult to keep up with when out of control.

Poor Indoor Air Quality

You don’t have to have allergies to get sick from poor indoor air quality. Mold, along with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from paint, cleaning supplies, carpeting, and furniture, will cause headaches, nausea, fatigue, depression, and dizziness. VOC levels elevate when humidity is high.

Mold Infestation

Like dust mites, mold thrives in humid conditions. It contributes to the decay of porous construction materials like wood and sheet rock and can find its way into carpeting, furniture, appliances, and HVAC systems, destroying your things as it spreads. You might not even see the mold until significant damage has been done; a mold colony can grow beneath the floor, where it has access to the humid air through a crevice and can grow undetected. Repairs generally mean removal of the damaged materials, thorough cleaning of the area with trisodium phosphate, and replacement.

Structural Damage

Excess moisture collects in the crevices between walls or within adjoining pieces of wooden furniture. When humidity is high, this moisture does not evaporate, causing wood joints to soften and loosen—and in some cases, begin to rot. Temperature changes exacerbate the process as expansion and contraction of the moist materials cause cracks, breaks, and even disintegration. Painted surfaces will peel and glued surfaces will give way.